Six Months and Counting
by TheDoublemintTwins11
Summary: Sometimes, when you're thousands of miles away, a letter's all you've got. Rated T for slight swearing, ZoLu, AU, War-fic of sorts, Now with an alternate ending for those prefer happy endings, and Zoro's POV on how he survived and made it home.
1. Part 1: Six Months

**Six Months and Counting**

**-DM Twins-**

Luffy stepped outside onto his front porch, enjoying the warm air. After a moments hesitation he walked down the short driveway to the roadside mailbox. Normally, he wouldn't even bother to check the mailbox to see if he'd received any letters. He could just poke his head out the door and look to see if the little red flag was up. But today the mailman had left the flag half-up, half-down, which was very annoying. And ou!—the suspense was killing him!

It was the beginning of May. The month didn't really matter, but more the date, because Zoro _always_ sent his letters around the beginning of the month. Luffy opened the mail box and found a cluster of letters. Replacing the bills to be dealt with later, he plucked Zoro's letter from the pile happily and skittered back to his favorite deck chair: the one with the squishy rose-pattern seat and wicker back. Luffy slid his finger beneath the flap and opened the envelope.

_Dear Luffy, _

_I'm good, thanks for asking. Bored as hell, that's for sure. There's nothing to do, and it's fucking hot. But who am I to complain? If I'm lucky we won't do anything serious and I'll be done with this God-forsaken place. It's almost depressing, not coming back with any amazing war-stories. Almost, but not quite. I think I'll get over it. The thing I miss most (well, second most) is the chirping of those damn birds that used to wake me up at seven in the morning. There aren't any birds here, only desert. Lots of desert. And lizards, but that doesn't really count…Can't wait to see you again, only six months to go. _

_Love,_

_Zoro_

Luffy read the letter over once more before running inside for a pen and a piece of paper. After grabbing some printer-paper from the printer and an ink pen from the desk drawer, he then ran back outside and leapt onto the deck chair, scrawling nearly illegibly in his haste to mail a response. He smiled to himself when the very same birds Zoro had mentioned started to chatter angrily amongst themselves. His eyes trailed over to the Grand Oak tree sitting in the middle of his front lawn.

--

_Dear Luffy, _

_Still hot. Still bored. Last week one of the guys got a football. That was fun while it lasted… until it popped. We're still not sure how that happened. What's going on on your end? I feel 'out of the loop.' You know how I told you about the guys who stave off boredom by playing practical jokes? Well lately, it's been stealing and hiding shoes. Sand can get pretty hot when you're looking under rocks and shit for your shoes. Damn funny though, so long as you're not the one who's barefoot. I miss you… oh, and can you do me a favor? The next time those birds start squawking at five in the morning, throw a shoe at them. Can't let 'um forget who's boss. Five months and counting. _

_Love,_

_Zoro_

Following routine, Luffy quickly wrote a reply. Five months to go, he thought to himself as he doodled a small drawing to try and make a point. It seemed like forever, but it was much less than when Zoro was first drafted. Just when he was sealing the letter and about ready to put it in the mailbox, the birds nesting in the tree in Luffy's front yard began to screech at each other, as they did every other day. He narrowed his eyes and removed one of his sandals, and with a well aimed throw it hit the branch the two birds were sitting on. The leaves shook, a few acorns even fell from the branches, and in a flurry of feathers and wings the two birds took off. Laughing, Luffy called an apology after them before slipping the letter into the mailbox and going to retrieve his shoe.

--

_Dear Luffy, _

_Things have been fairly hectic here, mainly because there's a rumor floating around that the enemy is planning a sneak attack, but I doubt it. They would have to be complete morons to waste time and men attacking a measly base like ours. I think they're just having fun worrying. If you ask me, they're bored. Haha, I really can't wait to get out of here, it sucks. And I miss you. Only four more months!_

_Love_

_Zoro_

_P.S. Next time, try writing slower. It looks like you're writing with your feet. I need a freaking decoder to figure out what it is you want to say!_

Luffy stared at the letter for a second, then frowned and re-read it, a worry line forming on his forehead. Zoro may not be nervous, but he sure was. He looked up to the grey sky and took a deep breath. It smelled like rain, and the air was cold and moist.

_Nah, nothing to worry about, Zoro said so himself. _He nodded as if to assure himself of this before reaching over and grabbing up the paper and ink pen he had carried out with him. A few lines of carefully-executed scribbles and a random doodle later and he was ready to mail it off. He quickly filled out the envelope before sealing it and dashing up to the mailbox.

No birds today, he noted to himself, before turning his face to the bleak grey sky just as two large, fat drops of water fell from the heavens and splashed onto this cheek and nose. They must have sensed the rain.

--

Luffy pulled the curtain slightly away from the window before being attacked by a large grin that engulfed his features. He ran to the door and flung it open, startling the mailman, who was standing some twenty feet away. Quickly, trying to not be rude, he stuffed the mail into the box and scuttled away to finish delivering his charge.

Luffy reached into the unclosed mail box and flipped eagerly through the various bills and other junk he received on a weekly basis. He noted the birds, squawking in the tree nearby. They'd started annoying him about as much as they had annoyed Zoro; unfortunately, he had left his shoes inside.

Luffy frowned and tucked the mail under his arm. Nothing from Zoro today, and it was already halfway through the month…maybe he ran out of ink? Ya, that's probably it. Luffy waved a greeting to his neighbor, who was watering her favorite rosebush, before flipping through the pile once more hopefully. He then returned inside rather huffily. _Nothing._

--

It was fall already. Dead leaves littered the ground, leaving the tree utterly bare. It was already cold; winter was coming early this year. Luffy glanced at his leave-filled lawn, making a mental note to rake them later. That, or mow them up. Depended on his mood later on.

He slipped on some tennis shoes, no socks, because it was too cold for sandals, and started across the lawn eagerly. He was seriously anticipating a letter this month, Zoro hadn't sent him one last month and he was longing to hear from him again. Frankly, he couldn't wait! There was only, what? Three months left? And Zoro had even promised to be back before Christmas!

A cold wind wafted through his lawn, rustling the leaves on the ground and causing Luffy to cross his arms across his chest. _Shoulda gotten a coat. _He thought to himself as he opened the mailbox and pulled a rather small stack of letters. Bill, Bill, Ad, damn nothing from….hold up. What's that? Luffy's eyes fixed on the letter in his hands. It looked official, and had the same return address as all of Zoro's letters.

He swallowed the knot in his throat, which settled uncomfortably in his stomach as he slipped his forefinger beneath the flap and tore the envelope open.

_To whom it may concern:_

_We regret to inform you that, as of August 26, Roronoa Zoro was…_

Without finishing the letter, Luffy crushed it between his palms and let it fall to the earth. Quietly he walked into the house and closed the door as if he'd never come out to check the mail in the first place. The yard was silent, save for the wind.

--

**Don't know why I wrote this, but someday, I'll probably re-write it and hand it in as an assignment for school. I guess I just wanted to do something productive. Lol. Oh and for those who care, this is my random made up war, it's not supposed to be any specific one. Please R&R!**


	2. Part 2: I'll Be Home

**Well, you asked for it. After a lot a consideration…forgetting this fic existed, and then getting a review to remind us…we decided to write a sort of alternate ending. Mind you, it's a happy ending, so if you liked the sad ending better, you can ignore this one. Well here it is!**

**I'll be Home for Christmas**

**-DM Twins-**

"Three months ago, Luffy got two letters. The first one told him that his boyfriend, Zoro—"

"The one that was drafted…" Kaya cut in. Usopp nodded.

"Yeah. The letter said that the base that Zoro was stationed at was attacked. Luffy didn't take it well…to say the least, and since this is the first Christmas after that, so try to be careful about what you say, okay?" Kaya nodded solemnly. She knew how hard it was to lose someone. Deciding that his work was done, Usopp moved to get out of the car, but Kaya grabbed his arm.

"What about the second letter?"

"That was from Zoro. He never had the chance to mail it, so they mailed it for him… It said that, for one reason or another, he wasn't going to make it back for Christmas. He didn't know how right he was." The solumn look on his face almost made Kaya regret asking at all--Luffy was obviously not the only of effected by the letters. Without another word, Usopp got out of the car, and, with snow crunching beneath his feet, he started up the un-shoveled walk. Kaya soon joined him. To lighten the mood, Usopp pointed out that Sanji had already arrived. When they reached the door, Kaya rang the bell.

Almost instantly, the door flew open, and Usopp quickly clapped a hand over Sanji's puckered mouth.

"Not Nami. Sorry." After a moments hesitation he added "Don't even think about it." And he led Kaya inside, being sure to steer wide of Sanji and the mistletoe he'd nailed over the door. The house smelled like Christmas. A mixture of aromas from turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and the many other foods that Sanji had cooked was wafting in through the kitchen.

"Hey Usopp!" shouted someone from the other room. A moment later, an enthusiastic face appeared at the door.

"Hey Luffy." He gestured to Kaya, "This is my girlfriend, Kaya." The moment the words left his mouth, he regreted it. Luffy put on a huge smile, but his eyes betrayed him. He was always a terrible liar. Kaya didn't seem to notice as he accepted her outstretched hand. Again Luffy turned to Usopp, who was busy kicking himself for mentioning their relationship.

"We haven't started decorating yet, come help!" He started to lead the two into the living room, "Two things you need during Christmas are decorations and food." Luffy pulled the lid from a box in the corner and dragged it over to the fireplace to hang stockings and decorate the mantle. Usopp walked to a separate box and began pulling out and sorting the branches of an artificial tree. For a moment Kaya looked lost, until Sanji kindly handed her a box of bows to fix to the stairs before he returned to the doorway, where he was nailing enough mistletoe to feed an army—assuming they ate mistletoe. _Nobody_ was going to get past on his watch. He was humming to himself as he worked, and was obviously excited. Needless to say, when he heard a familiar voice form the kitchen announce it's presence, he nearly bit through his cigarette.

"Nami-swan! But…how?!" He cried. She frowned and glanced at the ceiling, regarding the mistletoe-covered doorframe with an unamused look and a sigh.

"I came in through the back. One would think that after doing the same thing for so many years, you would get a better strategy." She sighed again as if to say he was hopeless and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on and flipping it to the news. She then disappeared into the kitchen, with Sanji on her heels.

Usopp was now assembling the tree, which was apparently a two person job because Kaya had abandoned the bows and was attempting to help. From his place by the mantle, Luffy withdrew the last of the stockings. He sat staring at it, lost in thought for what felt like hours before Luffy hung it up. Usopp noticed, as did Kaya, but neither said anything. If Luffy wanted to hang Zoro's stocking then who were they to tell him not to?

"Hey Luffy. Where're the Christmas lights?" Luffy didn't respond at first, but after a few moments of silence he glanced from the mantle, confused, before the question fully registered in his mind, and he rose to get them with a mumbled reply that wasn't entirely coherent. He left the room, and from the other side of the house the door to the garageopened and closed.

Usopp and Kaya's eyes met, and he sighed.

"What's up?" asked Nami, who had just emerged from the kitchen. The two pointed to the stocking and she frowned at it, shrugging her shoulders with a "forget about it" motion before crossing the room and pulling a throw pillow off the couch and onto the floor. She sat dow and started watching the news, content to not help in the least. She flipped the channel and the television erupted into a chorus of "I'll be Home for Christmas." She immediately flipped the TV back to the news.

"S'nothing good on…" she mumbled, glancing across the room to see if Luffy had heard. He had walked into the room, but seemed more-or-less content, and handed Usopp the Christmas lights. They strung them up in silence for a moment, before, much to everyone's surprise, Luffy began humming the same tune. Before anyone could say anything about it, Luffy let out a sigh and locked eyes with Usopp, who happened to be the closest to him.

"Don't worry about it." He commanded, before returning to his charge as though nothing had been said at all. Nami seemed like she was going to say something else, but hesitated. She drummed her fingers on the floor a few times before sliding to put a consoling hand on his shoulder.

"Luffy..." she bit her lip, wondering what could possibly be said at a time like this. He saved her the trouble of saying anything at all, and instead put a hand over the one on his shoulder to brush it gently off. He clenched his teeth tightly together. He wasn't angry, not really. Just lonely, and a little frustrated. Frustrated that it was even _possible _to be surrounded by your friends on Christmas Eve and feel so unbelievably lonely. He realized that everyone was starting at him, and, for lack of something better, shrugged his shoulders and continued stringing the tree. Sanji called Nami and Kaya from the kitchen, no doubt to shower them in seasonal gifts.

Kaya got up first and walked toward the kitchen, only to be yanked away by the arm. Usopp walked into the kitchen and tore down the mistletoe that had been nailed there--much to Sanji's disdain--before the ladies followed him into the kitchen. They'd all come the mutual agreement that they would just give Luffy some space until dinner.

Luffy finished stringing the lights around the tree and plugged it in. The lights didn't come on, and at first he was confused as to why, but then he realized that he hadn't put the star on the top yet, and the lights wouldn't work without it. He didn't even bother grabbing it from the box, because he wouldn't be able to put the star on anyway, he was just a little too short to put the star on himself--that was Zoro's job. So Luffy set the star aside--he would ask Sanji to put it up for him, or maybe grab a chair to stand on--but not right now. All he really wanted to do was sit, gather his wits about him, and eat christmas dinner with his friends like he did every other year.

Only it wasn't like ever other year...

Before he could finish the thought, the doorbell rang, snapping him out of his thoughts, first once, then five more times in rapid succession, as if the person were impatient after waiting for two whole seconds. Luffy frowned and walked to the door; he looked out the peep hole but saw no one. He pulled it open and was surprised to see a neatly wrapped present sitting on the porch. Stepping outside and leaving the door open despite the cold, Luffy grabbed up the present and brushed the snow off the bottom of the package. The present was bright red, with a mistletoe pattern on the sides. On the tag was a simple: for Luffy, with no notification as to who it was from.

He carefully peeled back the paper and removed a brown box; a smile of anticipation, as well as puzzlement, was evident on his features. From that, he withdrew a photograph of Zoro and himself in a cracked frame. The smile vanished from his face as his mind went completely blank. The stunned silence quickly turned to anger as he realised that someone had decided to play a prank on him. He was ready to scream; to literally kill whoever had decided it would be cute to mess with him like that, especially on a day like this, when he heard Nami in the doorway. He turned to see what it was she wanted but stopped dead.

Zoro grinned and grabbed the picture frame before Luffy could drop it. For a moment Luffy just started, not comprehending anything. A moment later an intense feeling, all the sorrow, the emptiness that he'd carried with him for these past months left him in an instant, replaced with an unbleivable, unexplainable feeling of _wholeness_. As though all was well in the world. And without a word Luffy captured Zoro's lips in his own, grabbing his shoulders in a subconcious attempt to keep him from leaving again. Warm breath mixed together to be released in white plumes into the cold evening air. He tasted salt, and Luffy couldn't help but wonder if he was crying, or if it was Zoro. Perhaps both.

Luffy wrapped his arms around the older man, resting his forehead against his broad shoulder and allowed himself to be pulled into the embrace. Despite the cold, he felt warmer now than he had in far too long.

**Yes, we realize that's very open-ended. But we were also considering writing a separate fic focusing on Zoro and his experiences as a prisoner of war. Until then, I hope you liked this happy ending. Please R&R. **


	3. Part 3: For Want of a Shoe

**So, here it is! The not-so-highly anticipated, probably-forgotten-by-most-of-you continuation of Six Months and Counting! This, of course, doesn't need to be read if you prefer the first ending to the alternate one. This tells Zoro's side of the story, and how he survived and such… Hopefully, I will tell it well ^.^ On that note, on with the story!**

**For Want of a Shoe**

**-DMTwins-**

Zoro sat on his bunk in the barracks with a pile of letters on his lap. He flipped through them, reading some, but mostly just enjoying the fact that he had them, and feeling a little bit homesick –though he would never admit it to anyone but Luffy. He wished that he had the author of the letters with him, instead.

He rolled over and reached under the bed to grab a picture frame from beneath. It was small—pocket sized—and held a picture of Luffy and himself. Zoro grabbed the most recent letter from the pile and read it over once more. In it Luffy had written about how excited he was now that fall was so close. Winter would come soon, and Zoro had told him that they would spend Christmas together.

By now a frown had been etched onto his face, and he reached over and grabbed his reply to the letter. He knew Luffy would be really disappointed when he found out that Zoro wouldn't be able to leave until at least mid-January, or later, if need be. He quickly scrawled the date—August 26th—on the top of the letter and slipped it into an already addressed envelope. He crossed the room to a drop-box in the corner and slipped his letter in.

Zoro returned to the bed and gathered up the letters and stuffed them into his pillowcase. If any of the other guys found them, he wouldn't hear the end of it. They already had a heyday every time anyone even mentioned his boyfriend…

A loud crash sounded outside the door, marking the none-too-graceful entrance of _someone_ into the barracks. Zoro slipped the picture frame into his pocket and walked over to the door to see who was—by the sound of it—tearing the room beyond the door apart.

When he opened the door he was a bit surprised that the room was, in fact, in shambles, but the surprise passed when he saw who the culprits were. They were currently in the process of tipping over a cabinet.

"Aniki!" Johnny and Yosaku said in unison.

"What are you doing?" Zoro asked as he glanced between them, and the small party that was tearing the room apart.

"Someone hid Yosaku's shoes," Johnny said, and Yosaku held up one bare foot as though to prove their story.

"Kohza, Bon Kurei, and Buggy are helping us look for them." He added. Kohza looked up at his name and shrugged.

"They're not in here." He said. He was wearing his usual long sleeved jacket and a scarf despite the heat, though he shrugged it off as nothing because he had grown up in a desert climate. Still, he was a good guy, which explained why he was helping them look. Bon, who was currently dancing around the room, had had his shoes stolen a few times and could probably sympathize, and Buggy… well, he was probably expecting something in return.

"Let me guess… You want me to help you look?" Zoro said, and Johnny and Yosaku nodded enthusiastically. Zoro sighed and closed the door behind him. "Fine… Have you asked if any of the people on watch saw them?" He received blank stares for a moment before the logic of the idea struck them and the two bolted from the room. Zoro exchanged an amused look with Kohza, who shrugged casually, and followed after them.

They crossed the yard, kicking up a cloud of dust as they did so. There weren't many people outside. Most of them were in the Rec. Room, probably lounging in front of a fan in an attempt to escape the heat. Zoro scowled when he realized that the person in the guard tower was one of the newer recruits, Bellamy. He was playing cards with his friend Sarquiss. Bellamy glanced over at them and a look of amusement crossed his face. He immediately turned back to his cards.

"If you guys are looking for shoes, I saw a couple of guys with a pair a few hours ago." He called down to them. "They took them off base," He pointed toward a cluster of rocks and cacti off in the distance, "That way."

"Why didn't you stop them, you flashy idiot? No one's supposed to go off base without reason…" Buggy pointed out. There had been rumors going around base that the enemy was getting closer to their position, and despite the fact that they really had no proof, security had been tightened recently, and many of their fellow soldiers had been on edge. Bellamy grinned evilly and shrugged.

"What? Afraid the 'enemy' is going to attack, are we? Ha, yeah right! Besides, it was funny." At that, both he and Sarquiss began laughing. Buggy flicked him off, which only made them laugh harder.

"Well, at least they told us where they are, right?" Bon Kurei asked, and then blew them a kiss. The two choked a bit and stopped laughing as scowls quickly replaced their amused expressions. Their reaction seemed to satisfy Bon. "Thanks boys!"

It was blazing hot outside, and it was nearly mid-day, making the heat almost unbearable. The rocks that Bellamy had pointed out were only a few hundred meters away, but it seemed like a much longer walk than it really was. Whoever had hid these shoes had _way_ too much energy to spend. Zoro glanced over at Yosaku, who seemed perfectly fine walking across the scorching sand in nothing but his socks. Zoro figured he shouldn't mention it, because he probably hadn't noticed, and if he _did_ notice, he would probably whine the rest of the way.

The rocks were much bigger than they looked from the base, but there weren't many places to hide shoes, and it didn't take long for them to locate the both—one being under a rock, and the other very precariously hung on a cactus.

A shadow flashed over the ground, and Zoro immediately tensed and turned to the sky. A sound, almost like thunder, roared and disappeared as quickly as it had come. The sky was cloudless. It happened in seconds, but it felt like an eternity. He and Kohza, being the only ones of the group to register the sound for what it was, immediately dove to push the other three out of the way. A shockwave blasted a wave of sand over them, and it suddenly seemed much darker than midday.

The silence that was usually attributed to the desert was now replaced with the sound of explosions. Out of instinct from their training, they reached for their guns, only to find that they hadn't brought them with. Buggy swore and pulled a knife out of his pocket, regarding it almost spitefully, as though it was its fault that he'd forgotten his useful weapons. With nothing better to do, the rest searched for similar replacement weapons. Johnny inched to the edge of their cover to glance out, and by the look on his face, he didn't like what he saw.

He drew back and covered his head as another wave of sand and debris washed over them. To a normal person, the first reaction to the situation would be to lament the fact that he didn't grab his gun on the way out of the camp. Instead, it occurred to Zoro that he'd never gotten a chance to send his letter. Another explosion was set off, this time much closer to where they were hiding, and after feeling of almost weightlessness he felt something strike him—or, perhaps, he struck something. Darkness was pulling at the edges of his vision, but he fought it back. He wasn't about to die—he couldn't die. It wouldn't be fair to Luffy…

He'd been thrown onto his back, so he painstakingly pushed himself up into a sitting position. His head was throbbing, and when he brought a hand to his chest it came back bloody. He avoided looking down, partly because he was afraid of what he would see, but mostly because he was trying to focus on finding the others. The air was thick with, smoke, dust, and sand, which made it nearly impossible to see. Through the settling air, he once again located the rocks that he'd ducked behind—they were now several feet away from him. Zoro ducked back down just as a short blast of gunfire split the air. He couldn't tell if the shots were aimed at him, but he wasn't about to check.

He heard a roar from behind him, and, thinking it was another bomb, he braced himself. When the impact didn't come, he realized that the roar sounded more like an engine. Zoro turned to see someone driving toward him from the opposite direction of the base. His first instinct was to run and get out of sight, but it was painful to sit up, let alone stand, and he knew that there was no way he would be able to outrun them, even in perfect condition.

Zoro could see them now, and a wave of dread washed over him as he prayed that he would recognize the driver. He didn't. One of the passengers spotted him and began shouting and waving his gun at him. By now, he could tell very distinctly that they were wearing the enemy's uniform. For a moment, Zoro expected them to shoot him. Instead, they stopped the vehicle a few feet away, with their guns trained on him. The driver began shouting vehemently at him in a language he didn't understand. Zoro was glaring at them darkly, and one of the group—much younger than the others, Zoro noted—took an instinctive step back.

Not really knowing what to do, but figuring it couldn't hurt, he raised his hands to show he was unarmed. They seemed satisfied with this, because they lowered their guns and walked closer and surrounded him, as though they were afraid he would run away despite his condition. They began shouting at him again, this time throwing in weird hand gestures that only proved to confuse him further. Zoro glared and shook his head, hoping they would understand that he didn't know what the hell they were saying. They seemed to misinterpret this, though, because they all seemed to get frazzled and raised their guns again, looking around wildly. One, a man with a scar across his face, didn't seem worried in the least. He smirked at him and swung his rifle over his shoulder.

Zoro flinched, knowing what was coming, as the man brought the butt of the rifle down on him. An explosion of colors flashed across his vision, and his hold on his consciousness loosened as darkness clouded his vision.

**As you can see, this will be longer than the other two parts, so it will span over several chapters. It is also a much different genre than the others. Please tell me what you think!**


End file.
